The Impact of Freedom of Information on Whitehall
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 10392129 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Robert Hazell (0000-0002-2571-1090, Government of the United Kingdom), Mark Glover (0000-0003-4705-2871, Public Policy Institute of California) |
| Year | 2011 |
| Volume | 89 |
| Issue | 4 |
| Pages | 1664-1681 |
| Publication date | 2011-04-26 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Public Administration (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0033-3298 • E-ISSN: 1467-9299 |
| Publisher | Wiley (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1111/j.1467-9299.2011.01930.x |
| OpenAlex | W2127504873 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 5 |
| References cited | 15 |
This article examines whether the UK Freedom of Information Act 2000 has changed Whitehall. Based on a two‐year, ESRC‐funded study, it evaluates the impact of FOI on five characteristics of the Whitehall model: the culture of secrecy, ministerial accountability to Parliament, civil service neutrality, the Cabinet system, and effective government. Proponents of FOI hoped that government would be less secretive, more accountable and more effective; critics feared that civil servants would lose their anonymity, and collective Cabinet responsibility would be undermined. Drawing on interviews, media analysis, case law and official documents, the article finds that the impact of FOI is modest at most. It is not powerful enough to do much good or much ill, and the feared ‘chilling effect' on candour and record‐keeping has not materialized. Leaks do more damage than FOI disclosures. But ministers remain apprehensive about the effect of FOI on Cabinet records and discussions
Accountability · Anonymity · Cabinet (room · Civil servants · Civil service · Freedom of information · Government (linguistics · Neutrality · Parliament · Political science · Politics · Public service · Secrecy · Engineering · Irish and British Studies · Law · Ombudsman and Human Rights · Public Administration · Public Policy and Administration Research
Comparing Westminster
Institutions, Institutional Change and Economic Performance
New Labour and the Civil Service
Everyday Life in a Ministry
Freedom of Information in Australia, Canada and New Zealand
Accountability’
Informality and Circumscription
The British Constitution in the Twentieth Century
Cabinet Government in the Twentieth Century
Delimiting Democratic Accountability
The Limits of Design
After the Public Interest Prevails
More Open but Not More Trusted? The Effect of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 on the United Kingdom Central Government
| Citations per year | 0.36 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2012 - 2023 (12) |
| Highly cited | No |